Page:Legislative History of the AAF and USAF.djvu/83

 �This Page Declassified lAW EO12958 the ostoar ltr Poree "get the boys home"; there followed a rapid and almos disastrous demobfiLzation which reduced the military services to a fraction of their wartime strength. One author said that demobilization was carried out in such haste that "our armed services were lit- erally ripped apart," and that the AAF was ß o depleted that "It would be impossible to put a single B-29 squadron m the air .... " The AAF, of course, was not willing to see this country placed in a position in which it would be at the mercy of enemy air power and had already framed a legislative pro- gram early in 1945 which would provide for a 70-group Air Force.* Despite the fact that this plan met wide aproval m and out of Congress, it was not actually implemented until after the outbreak of the Korean conflict. MISCELLANEOUS LEGISLATION 1946-1951 In 1946 several ]awe which vitally con- cerned the Ar Force were macted. The most important legislation, affecting the nation as a whole as well as the Air Force, was that dealing with atomic weapons and the governmental control of the development of atomic energy. In the early summer of 1946 Congress passed Public Law 442, 79 Cont., 2 Sees. (approved 25 June 1946), which au- thorized the use of naal vessels as targets in atomic weapons tests and experiments/n order to determine the effect of atomic weapons on such vessels; a this legrelation, of course, made it possible to conduc the B'Jni atomic bomb tests, which furnished such overwhelming evidence of the destrue. tire power of airborne atomic weapons used against surface craft. Of broader import was the Atomic Energy Act of 1946. On 3 March 1945 President Truman had sent to Congress a message re- questing the enactment of legislation to fix a polioy covering the use and development of atomio energy, including the atomic bomb. He emphasized the mportance of reaching a decision n this matter as soon as possible because, due to uncertainy as to future national policy m this field, the vast World War II organization set up to Above, develop atomic weapons was about to lose its ablest personnel. He also emphasized the necessity ior in- suring national control of the raw ma- teria!s and research essential to the velopment of this form of power which had such tremendous capabilmes for good or for eul.Z As passed by Congress, the Atomic Energy Act of 1946, Public Law 58, Cont., 2 Se. (approved 1 August 1946) set up an Atomic Energy Commission of five members, appointed by the President, to be in charge of atomic research. The commission was to administer government control of the production, ownership, and use of fissionable materials; in addition to ts primary mission of assuring the common defense and security, the commission was charged to develop as far as possible the use of fissionable materials in the inerest of the public welfare, lot the improvement of the standard of living, and for the promo- tion of world peace. In addition to a Gen- eral Advisory Committee of nine members to advise the comrmssion on scientific and technical matters, there was created a Military Liaison Committee, consisting of representatives of the Departments of War and Navy. This committee, whose member were appointed by the Secretaries of War and Navy, was to advise and consult ith the commission on all atormc energy mat- ters relating to he rmhtary application of atomic energy, including the manufacture, use, and storage of atomic bombs, the allo- cation of fsionable materials for military research, and the control of information relating to the manufacture and use of atomic weapons. The act also set a Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, composed of nine members of the House of Representatives and nine members of the Senate. All bills, resolu- tions, reports, and other materials reerring to the commission or to the development, use, or control of atomic energy were to referred to this committee. Another eature of the Atomic Energy Act, characteristic of the new era, was its inclusion of strict security prov/sions ernmg the dissemination of atomic ma- terials, data, and information. Heavy THIS PAGE-Oeclassified lAW EO12958